Translating Tickera

Translating Tickera

Tickera and all its add-ons use standard WordPress translation files - .pot, .po, and .mo. This means you can translate Tickera into any language without relying on third-party multilingual plugins.

It’s worth noting that Tickera is not compatible with WPML or other multilingual systems. Instead, it uses a simple and proven WordPress-native translation structure, ensuring your translations stay reliable and lightweight.

To edit these files, we’ll be using Poedit a free translation editor available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can download it from Poedit’s official website.

Locating the language file

Before translating, locate Tickera’s default language file that we will be using as a base for creating translations. It is stored in: /wp-content/plugins/tickera/languages/ folder and it is named tickera-event-ticketing-system.pot

Make a copy of that file and store it somewhere on your computer where you can easily find it later - this will be your working file for creating the translation.

Creating the translation with Poedit

Start by opening Poedit. Once it loads, go to File -> New from POT/PO file. You’ll then need to find the copy of the .pot file you previously saved on your computer and open it.

As soon as it loads, Poedit will ask which language you’re translating Tickera into.

From here, the process is pretty straightforward. You’ll see a list of all the text strings that appear throughout Tickera. Above is the list, and below it are two boxes — one showing the original text and another where you type your translation. As you complete each one, Poedit automatically jumps to the next, making the workflow smooth and efficient.

The interface is minimal and easy to get used to. It’s just you, your translations, and maybe a cup of coffee (you’ll need it - Tickera has a lot of strings).

When you finish, simply save your work, and Poedit will automatically generate the .mo file alongside your .po file. That .mo file is what WordPress actually uses behind the scenes to display your translations on the site.

Naming the files correctly

This step is crucial - if your translation files aren’t named correctly, WordPress won’t recognize them and translations won't work anywhere.

Each filename must start with tickera-event-ticketing-system, followed by a dash (-), and then the WordPress locale code for your language.

For example, if your site’s language is Norwegian (Bokmål), your files should be named: tickera-event-ticketing-system-nb_NO.po and tickera-event-ticketing-system-nb_NO.mo

If you’re unsure of your locale code, check the WordPress locale list here.

Uploading your translation

Once your .po and .mo files are ready and properly named, upload them to the following folder on your website: wp-content/languages/plugins/

You might notice that we’re not placing the translation files back into the plugin’s own /languages folder. There’s a good reason for that: storing translations inside wp-content/languages/plugins keeps them safe during plugin updates. This way, your translations remain intact even after you update Tickera.

And, of course, don’t forget to make a backup of your translation files, just in case.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to it! Translating Tickera is straightforward once you understand how .po and .mo files work. With Poedit, you can easily localize your entire event ticketing system and provide a seamless experience for your customers in any language.